Criminal proceedings have been opened based on the fact of the actions of the protesters near the President’s Office of Ukraine and damage to the building of the Office, one of the protesters was detained by law enforcement officers, the liaison department of Kyiv police reported.
“Today, activists staged a protest near the President’s Office of Ukraine on Bankova Street. In this regard, workers of the structural divisions of the capital’s police, together with the military personnel of the National Guard of Ukraine, have strengthened preventive measures to ensure public safety and order … the event is qualified as hooliganism,” police said on its website on March 20 night.
“Within the framework of the pretrial investigation, all the circumstances of the commission of the offense are being established,” the law enforcement officers noted.
It is also reported that law enforcement officers detained one of the participants for committing illegal actions during the rally.
“This is a native of Vinnytsia, born in 1995, who was previously prosecuted for committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 263 (illegal handling of weapons, ammunition or explosives) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The man was detained in accordance with Article 208 of the Criminal Procedural Code of Ukraine,” the message reads.
The Investigation Department of the Pechersky Police Directorate has begun criminal proceedings under Part 4 of Article 296 (hooliganism) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The sanction of the article provides for up to seven years in prison.
Earlier it was reported that on March 20 evening a rally was being held near the President’s Office demanding the release of activist Serhiy Sternenko and other political prisoners. The protesters lit flares and threw noise grenades; activists wrote inscriptions by red paint on the facade of the President’s Office building.
Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Anton Gerashchenko called the actions of the protesters outside the building of the President’s Office a paid provocation in order to discredit law enforcement officers.
